New Chef Plays with his Food

08:11 AM, November 1, 2012 |

By Lillia Callum-Penso

Chase Todaro hasn’t wasted anytime getting his hands dirty in the kitchen at the Hyatt. The newly hired executive chef for the soon to open restaurant Roost, joyfully says he has been spending most his time “playing with food.”

The result is a menu that pairs Southern food traditions and new techniques to create a stepped up version.

For example, the South Carolina sushi roll. The roll includes barbecued pulled pork and Carolina Gold Rice wrapped in collard leaves and topped with a mustard seed caviar.

“My whole idea is to have people leave happy but in the back of their head pretty much be questioning what is happening,” Todaro says, barely containing his excitement.

And questioning guests will be. Here’s another example from the new menu – bacon wrapped scallops rolled in bacon powder instead of bacon. Todaro uses tapioca maltodextrin to create a perfect flavor while also creating a truly unique eating experience.

“It’is making good food a whole lot more fun,” he says.

Another dish Todaro and his sous chefs are working on is what they’re calling “oysters and pearls.” The South Carolina oysters are prepared with the traditional mignonette flavor but in a very different way. Todaro is experimenting with spherification, which acts as gelatin to create little jelled balls that explodes with flavor when you take a bite.

“We’ll have a shallot one, a pepper one, a lemon one, a vinegar one. When you eat the oyster they’ll all explode and you’ll have a mignonette,” he says.

Of course all this begs the question, how will diners react to such magical realism on their dinner plate. Todaro thinks so.

“If I could advise the public – just trust us, it’s good,” he assures. “This menu is supposed to be fun but at the end of the day it’s all about the flavor.”